Synergy Strong Podcast: Real stories. Real Impact.

Synergy Athletics
  • 5.0 (6)
  • Health & Fitness
  • Weekly

Welcome to the Synergy Strong Podcast, where we share the stories behind our community and what it really means to have people in your corner. This isn’t about workouts or programs. It’s about our “got your back” promise, ensuring you feel supported not just inside the gym, but outside our four walls too. Each episode is meant to give you something to take with you, whether that’s a little perspective, motivation, or just the push you need for your next workout, walk, run, or bike ride. Have someone in mind or a story worth sharing? Email: eric@synergyfitnessteam.com

  1. 1d ago

    Strength for Runners: Building Community, Preventing Injury, and Carly’s Erie Marathon Lessons

    Eric and Carly discuss how Synergy’s community has fueled a growing running culture, highlighting members like Jim Sacco who progressed from never running to completing longer races and signing up for a marathon, and the Tuesday Synergy Run Club led by Melissa at the Westville Rail Trail. They emphasize the “marriage” of strength training and running for performance and injury prevention, noting running’s barrier to entry, the risks of “hybrid” trends, and how training should shift by season without eliminating strength work. Carly shares her history of running and injury (IT band syndrome) before consistent strength and recovery, improvements like a 1:31:39 half marathon PR, and her Erie Marathon experience: hot, humid conditions, runners quitting, ambulances, finishing in 3:22, collapsing from heat/dehydration, and using mantras and effort-focused mindset while pursuing a Boston qualifying goal. Check out our Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61568821531234⁠ Our Website: https://synergyfitnessteam.com/ Come check us out and grab a free week by texting “PODCAST” to 607-258-9388

    Strength for Runners: Building Community, Preventing Injury, and Carly’s Erie Marathon Lessons

  2. Oct 28

    Staying Fit Through Winter: Routines, Accountability, and Spring Goals

    Eric shares strategies for maintaining fitness through winter’s colder, darker months, emphasizing that motivation will drop and must be replaced with routine, non-negotiables, and simply showing up. He encourages protecting and reflecting on progress already made, noting that maintenance can be a win, and setting a “minimum” routine that’s achievable on worst days. The script advises adapting workouts for winter conditions (treadmill, open gym access, safety measures for walking, short bodyweight sessions), preventing a single missed workout or poor meal from becoming a bad week, and treating holidays as single days rather than months-long setbacks. Accountability through scheduling, coaches, gym friends, and family support is highlighted, along with setting measurable spring goals or challenges to stay motivated. Eric also suggests adding an extra gym day during winter to stay consistent and arrive in spring ready to build, not restart. 1. Motivation WILL drop — plan for it Dark earlier, colder weather, holidays, busy schedulesDon’t rely on motivation → rely on routineYou don’t need to feel like it to show up2. Protect the progress you already made Winter doesn’t have to be a huge “progress” seasonMaintenance is a WINThink about where you want to be when spring arrivesDon’t spend spring rebuilding what you lost over winter3. Create a minimum What’s the smallest version of your routine you can consistently do?20–30 minutes > nothingTwo workouts > zero workoutsShowing up mattersAvoid the “If I can’t do everything, why bother?” mentality4. Adapt your routine to winter Your winter routine can look different from summerOutdoor running → treadmill / strength / different scheduleMorning or lunchtime workouts if evenings are difficultPrepare for darkness and weather instead of letting them surprise you5. One bad day ≠ a bad week Miss a workout? Get the next onePoor food choices? Next meal is back to normalDon’t punish yourself or try to “make up” for itNever turn one missed day into permission to quit6. Holidays are DAYS — not months Enjoy Thanksgiving, Christmas, parties, etc.A handful of meals won’t erase months of progressThe danger is saying: “I’ll start again in January.”Keep normal days normal7. Accountability becomes MORE important Coach / training partner / classes / friendsSchedule workouts like appointmentsTell someone what you’re doingWhen internal motivation drops → use external accountability8. Have something waiting for you in spring Sign up for a raceSet a strength goalPlan an event, hike, trip, challenge, etc.Give winter training a purpose Check out our Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61568821531234⁠ Our Website: https://synergyfitnessteam.com/ Come check us out and grab a free week by texting “PODCAST” to 607-258-9388

    Staying Fit Through Winter: Routines, Accountability, and Spring Goals

  3. Oct 21

    Synergy Strong: First Marathon Reflections with Katie & Beth

    Host Eric interviews Synergy Strong members Katie and Beth 24 hours after completing their first full marathon at the Steamtown Marathon in Scranton, PA, discussing how they joined Synergy, what has kept them there (one-on-one coaching, supportive community, and personal notes), and why they train (stress relief, self-care, and setting an example for family). Beth, a lifelong runner with 20+ half marathons and chronic Lyme disease, shares how peer support and accountability helped her finally commit to the full; Katie describes balancing teaching, work, golf, and run training. They reflect on key lessons from training—staying present, trusting the process, prioritizing recovery and stretching, and carving out time—then recount race-day rain, mental lows around miles 17–24, and the motivation of seeing friends and family. They encourage listeners to “just sign up” and take the first step. Check out our Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61568821531234⁠ Our Website: https://synergyfitnessteam.com/ Come check us out and grab a free week by texting “PODCAST” to 607-258-9388

    Synergy Strong: First Marathon Reflections with Katie & Beth

  4. Oct 14

    Why “Just Rest” Is Often the Worst Advice for Pain—and What to Do Instead

    Bryon from the Synergy Strong Podcast argues that “just rest” is often bad advice for common nagging pains, because stopping movement can create stiffness and compensations that spread pain to other areas. He frames pain as a signal—like a check engine light—rather than permanent damage, noting that symptoms often return after rest if nothing changes. Synergy’s approach is to work around pain points by strengthening joints and improving blood flow to promote healing. He shares a client story of “Joe,” whose chronic low-back pain improved as he trained, and his own back injury where he modified training instead of stopping. He closes with three takeaways: keep moving, ignore blanket rest advice, and learn the difference between pain and discomfort, plus an invitation to text “trial” for a free week of unlimited personal training. Check out our Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61568821531234⁠ Our Website: https://synergyfitnessteam.com/ Come check us out and grab a free week by texting “TRIAL” to 607-258-9388

    Why “Just Rest” Is Often the Worst Advice for Pain—and What to Do Instead

  5. Oct 7

    John Dzury on Strength Training, 60 Half Marathons at 60, and Running as a Lifestyle

    On the Synergy Strong podcast, Carly interviews longtime Synergy member John Dxury, who grew up in Vestal in the 1970s–80s playing informal neighborhood sports, played baseball through high school, studied economics at Binghamton University, worked about 20 years in banking, and has spent about 18 years at FAAS Construction Group. John began running in 2011 and, after getting into the London Marathon in 2022, added strength training at Synergy (joining February 2022) to support performance, mobility, and maintaining muscle mass as he ages. He trains at the gym twice weekly and credits targeted work for improved half-marathon times (2021 average 2:07:30 vs. 2024 average 1:57:44). In his 60th year he completed 60 half marathons, has run 16 marathons (including majors like London, Berlin, Chicago, and NYC), races with family, and uses running to travel, manage stress, build confidence, and stay active for the future. Check out our Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61568821531234⁠ Our Website: https://synergyfitnessteam.com/ Come check us out and grab a free week by texting “PODCAST” to 607-258-9388

    John Dzury on Strength Training, 60 Half Marathons at 60, and Running as a Lifestyle

  6. Sep 30

    Spencer Dino’s Comeback: From Traumatic Brain Injury to Fitness, Family, and Purpose

    On the Synergy Strong Podcast, Bryon interviews Spencer Dino after a workout about his recovery from a traumatic brain injury sustained in a January 24, 2016 car crash during a period of alcohol and drug abuse. Spencer describes months in hospitals and rehab (including Upstate, Sunnyview, and St. Camillus), three months on a ventilator, severe left-side impairment, and memory gaps until around his June birthday when his niece was born and he hit “rock bottom,” deciding to work relentlessly. He credits structured routines, military mindset (“embrace the suck”), family support, humor, healthy eating, hydration, and daily training at Synergy for regaining independence, running short distances, improving gait, and transforming addiction into fitness. He discusses relationships, meeting his fiancée Emily, buying a house, future goals (better 5K, daily living, speaking to motivate others), and key takeaways: find a healthy outlet, lean on close support, and keep pushing. Check out our Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61568821531234⁠ Our Website: https://synergyfitnessteam.com/ Come check us out and grab a free week by texting “PODCAST” to 607-258-9388

    Spencer Dino’s Comeback: From Traumatic Brain Injury to Fitness, Family, and Purpose

  7. Sep 23

    Autumn Kay’s Journey: From Synergy Member to First Marathon Finish

    Coach Eric interviews Synergy Strong member Autumn K., a wife and mother of three who joined Synergy in 2019 after a brief earlier trial, seeking time for herself and to lose weight gained during pregnancy. She credits Synergy’s welcoming community, coaching, and accountability—including at-home TrainHeroic workouts during gym closures—for keeping her consistent. Autumn explains how Synergy events sparked her interest in running, leading from her first 5K (pushing a stroller) to half marathons and ultimately her first full marathon, which required structured training, better scheduling, and adapting around family and sports commitments. She discusses lessons on pacing, mental strategies during the race, managing time, and modeling balanced fitness and food habits for her kids, and she’s unsure whether she’ll run another marathon. Check out our Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61568821531234⁠ Come check us out and grab a free week by texting “PODCAST” to 607-258-9388

    Autumn Kay’s Journey: From Synergy Member to First Marathon Finish

  8. Sep 16

    John Lupo Schofield on Fitness, Community, and Running Speedie and Rib pit

    Bryon  interviews John Lupo Schofield, owner-operator of Speedie and Rib pit, about how two years of 5:00 AM group workouts built accountability, community, and functional strength for John’s physical restaurant work, including preventing back flare-ups after a prior injury. John describes waking up early by removing barriers, the mental battle of consistency, and how fitness helps him show up for family—highlighted by his 12-year-old daughter with Prader-Willi syndrome joining him at the gym and completing rowing/skiing and tank pushes. He shares his path from earning a master’s in education and substitute teaching to joining the family restaurant in 2009, relocating in 2019, and managing day-to-day operations through relationships and respect. They discuss small-business visibility, community over convenience, diet challenges in a restaurant, and John’s keys to restaurants: good food, consistency, and a smile. Check out our Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61568821531234⁠ Come check us out and grab a free week by texting “PODCAST” to 607-258-9388.

    John Lupo Schofield on Fitness, Community, and Running Speedie and Rib pit
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Welcome to the Synergy Strong Podcast, where we share the stories behind our community and what it really means to have people in your corner. This isn’t about workouts or programs. It’s about our “got your back” promise, ensuring you feel supported not just inside the gym, but outside our four walls too. Each episode is meant to give you something to take with you, whether that’s a little perspective, motivation, or just the push you need for your next workout, walk, run, or bike ride. Have someone in mind or a story worth sharing? Email: eric@synergyfitnessteam.com

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